And then there were 10.
New Belgium Brewing, which has added distribution in eight states within the last 24 months, yesterday announced it would begin shipping product to Hawaii, the 40th state in the brewery’s footprint. The company has signed an agreement with Young’s Market Company for distribution throughout the island state beginning in early 2016.
The nation’s fourth largest craft brewery, according to Brewers Association sales data, New Belgium will debut in Hawaii in February, initially sending bottled 6-packs of its flagship Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, and seasonal offerings. Fat Tire and Ranger will also be available in 12-pack cans and in “bomber” 22 oz. format, alongside its Lips of Faith series.
“New Belgium is extremely excited to be partnering with Young’s Market Company in the state of Hawaii,” Scotty Prawalsky, New Belgium’s regional sales director said in a press statement. “They are a family-owned company with a long history of success on the islands. We are stoked to be working with them to help grow the craft beer scene in the Aloha State.”
Young’s, which distributes not only beer, but also wine and spirits, has additional operations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Two years ago, New Belgium co-founder Kim Jordan told Brewbound that its products would be sold in all 50 states by 2018. That timeline, however, was contingent upon the opening of a secondary production facility in Asheville, N.C.. According to a July 27 blog post on the company’s website, construction at the new plant is “75 percent” complete and beer production will begin later this year. The new brewery is expected to open in “early 2016,” the company wrote.
New Belgium sold 945,367 barrels of beer in 2014, up 19 percent over the year prior, according to the Brewers Association.